The Population Research Institute (PRI) is a non-profit organization based in Front Royal, Virginia, USA.[2] PRI describes itself as "a non-profit research group whose goals are to expose the myth of overpopulation" as well as "human rights abuses committed in population control programs, and to make the case that people are the world's greatest resource."[3] It operates programs against the advancement of contraception, sterilization, and abortion. PRI is a 501(c)(3) organization and claims contacts to pro-life groups in over 30 countries.[4] Results are being released in an own online periodical, PRI Review.[5][6]

According to the Los Angeles Times, PRI successfully lobbied the George W. Bush administration to withhold US$34 to $40 million per year for seven years from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the largest international donor to family planning programs.[15]"We located the family planning offices, and in that family planning office, we located the UNFPA office, and we confirmed from family planning officials there that there is no distinction between what the UNFPA does and what the Chinese Family Planning Office does," said Scott Weinberg, a spokesman for the institute, in the fall of 2001.[16] Moreover, it monitored UNFPA's involvement in controversial sterilization campaigns during the PeruvianFujimori era,[17][18] and it also investigated forceful actions against Montagnard tribal women in Vietnam aimed at preventing reproduction.[19]

PRI obtains the vast majority of its funding from charitable contributions, gifts, and grants, with a total revenue of 1.31 million dollars in financial year 2016. Of this, 73.4% was spent on program expenses, 3.9% on administration, and 22.6% on fundraising.[20]

The Ten Million Club Foundation [25] further adds to criticism,[26] accusing PRI of having a religious hidden agenda (against family planning and contraception) that motivates its (allegedly) deceiving claims, stating that those are not backed up by any original research («[PRI hasn't] as yet published a single peer review paper in any scientific journal»).

Charity Navigator classifies charities with respect to "Accountability & Transparency" and "Financial Performance". It awarded one (out of four) stars to PRI with respect to "Accountability & Transparency" and one (out of four) stars with respect to the "Financial".[27]

A rather benevolent review issued by CatholicCulture.org misses clarification from PRI in cases where the institute's website provides a research link to secular and non-Catholic contents.[28]